February 6 is International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. FGM is an abbreviation for female genital mutilation», also known as female genital cutting (FGC.) Although practiced for several thousand years in diverse regions of the world, FGC has generated little research, and the full extent of the short-and long-term health consequences is unclear. Today, the practice of FGC is considered to be a gross international infringement on the rights of women and constitutes child abuse against girls.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 call for an end to FGC by 2030 under Goal 5 of Gender Equality

Numerous inter-governmental organizations, including the African Union, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the United Nations General Assembly, have called for the elimination of FGC